President Trump tells the Big Ten to play: ‘They’re not gonna be affected by the virus’

President Trump is urging the Big Ten to play the football season because he said these big, strong guys won’t be affected by the coronavirus.

During a campaign speech in New Hampshire with Air Force One in the background, President Trump turned his sights to college football once again. Weeks ago, Trump made comments about how it would be a tragedy if the college football season was canceled.

“Big Ten, get with it! Open up your season, Big Ten.”

“These are young strong guys–they’re not gonna be affected by the virus…These are big, strong guys. They will be just fine.”

President Trump wants the Big Ten to open up because the football players are big and strong and won’t be affected by the threat of the coronavirus.

Statistically, college-aged athletes are not in a high-risk age group, according to WHO, as opposed to senior citizens or those with other morbid pre-conditions. Being young and healthy, however, does not make one immune to the coronavirus and its side effects as we’ve seen with at least 10 players in the Big Ten having myocarditis, a rare heart condition associated with coronavirus patients.

The Big Ten, Pac-12, MAC, Mountain West are the FBS conferences to postpone or cancel the fall season. Meanwhile, practically all of the FCS, Division II and Division III teams had their seasons canceled due to ongoing concerns about the coronavirus, testing for the coronavirus and the reliability and costs of those tests and the unknown long-term complications of contracting the coronavirus.

This is largely the reasoning behind the decision to postpone until the winter by the Big Ten and the Pac-12. Now, there’s some optimism those conferences could stage a six-eight game schedule that could begin as early as Thanksgiving week or shortly after the new year.

Big Ten players like Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields started a petition with hopes of the league reversing their decision. Big Ten parents from Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan and Nebraska, primarily also have been vocal on social media, sent letters to conference commissioner Kevin Warren and some protested outside the league’s headquarters last Friday. Meanwhile, eight Nebraska football players are suing with an attempt to play this fall.

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